In a wireless communication system, a major design challenge is to maximize system capacity and performance in the presence of interference and multipath. Multipath propagation is caused by the transmitted signal reflecting off objects near the transmitter and receiver and arriving at the receiver over multiple paths. Interference in a communication system can come from a variety of sources depending on the particular system deployment. Interference and multipath are major factors that limit the achievable performance and capacity of a communication system because both effects interfere with the ability of a communication receiver to properly decode the transmitted data.
In a multipath propagation channel, the transmitted signal propagates to the receiver over a finite number P of propagation paths, where each path has an associated time delay and complex gain. In such a channel, the communication receiver receives the superposition of P delayed, attenuated, and phase-shifted copies of the transmitted signal. The number of paths P and their time delays and phase shifts depends on the physical location of the various scattering objects (such as buildings, automobiles, and trees) in the immediate vicinity of the transmitter and receiver. The complex attenuation (magnitude and phase) of each path depends on the length of each path as well as the material composition of any scatterers or reflectors encountered along the path.
The presence of multipath can severely distort the received signal. In a multipath environment, the multiple copies of the transmitted signal can interfere constructively in some portions of the occupied bandwidth. In other portions of the occupied bandwidth, the multiple copies can interfere destructively at the receiver. This interference causes unwanted variations in the received signal strength over the bandwidth occupied by the signal. Furthermore, if the difference in the path delays of the various propagation paths is significantly greater than the duration of a transmitted information symbol, then intersymbol interference is present at the receiver. When intersymbol interference is present, the received signal is corrupted by prior transmitted symbols propagating over paths having delays relative to the shortest path that are longer than the duration of an information symbol. The demodulation process (the process of determining which information symbol was transmitted) becomes difficult in the presence of intersymbol interference.
In addition to multipath, interference is another system component that limits the performance of a communication system. If the system is deployed in an unlicensed band, then interference can be generated by other users of the band. In a cellular system employing frequency reuse, co-channel interference can be generated by transmitters in another cell that is allocated the same set of frequency channels. Frequency reuse is the practice of assigning the same frequency channels to multiple users of the allocated spectrum.
Many cellular communication systems employ the technique of frequency reuse in order to maximize the utilization of the frequency spectrum allocated to a wide-area system deployment. In a cellular system, a large geographical area is divided into smaller regions called cells, where each cell is served by a single base station operating on an assigned set of frequency channels. Within each cell, multiple subscriber devices are allowed to communicate with the base station on the frequency channels assigned to that cell. The concept of frequency reuse involves allocating different sets of frequency channels to the cells belonging to a particular group and then reusing the same sets of frequencies to the cells belonging to another group of cells.
The reuse factor of a cellular system is defined to be the minimum distance between two cells that are allocated the same set of frequency channels divided by the radius of a cell. A cellular system employing a large reuse factor does not utilize the allocated spectrum as efficiently as a cellular system employing a smaller reuse factor. However, the level of co-channel interference received by a receiver in the cellular system is directly dependent on the reuse factor. Reducing the reuse factor tends to increase the level of co-channel interference experienced by a receiver. To better utilize the available spectrum, it would be advantageous to be able to suppress the effects of co-channel interference
Thus, there is a need for a method and device for equalizing the desired signals, while simultaneously suppressing interference.